Stadtlohn

Infobox German Location
Art = Stadt
Name = Stadtlohn
Wappen = Alteswappen stadtlohn.jpg
lat_deg = 51 |lat_min = 59 |lat_sec = 33
lon_deg = 06 |lon_min = 54 |lon_sec = 54
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Nordrhein-Westfalen
Kreis = Borken
Höhe = 50
Fläche = 79.06
Einwohner = 20674
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 48703
Vorwahl = 0 25 63
Kfz = BOR
Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 5 54 056
Straße = Markt 3
Website = [http://www.stadtlohn.de www.stadtlohn.de]
Bürgermeister = Helmut Könning
Partei = CDU

Stadtlohn is a town in the north-west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, part of the district Borken. The Berkel river flows through it on its way to the Netherlands.

Geography

Division of the town

Stadtlohn consists of 9 districts:
* Almsick
* Büren
* Estern
* Hengeler
* Hordt
* Hundewick
* Stadtlohn
* Wendfeld
* Wenningfeld

History

The town was founded as Lohn by Liudger, the first Bishop of Münster about the year 800. About 985 Gescher was split form "Lohn", which in turn (1231) split into Südlohn (literally "South-Lohn") and "Nordlohn" (literally "North-Lohn"). The name Stadtlohn (literally "Town-Lohn") is first mentioned in 1389 after the small town "Nordlohn" was secured by a moat, a defensive wall and gates and gained the town rights. About 1406 Stadtlohn was burned down by Count Heinrich I of Solms-Ottenstein because he feuded with the bishop of Münster. Bishop Heinrich III of Münster verified its town rights in 1491.

In 1584 Stadtlohn was pillaged by the troops of Duke Ernest of Bavaria and again in 1588 by Dutch soldiers. In 1591 Spanish soldiers attacked the town. For a few months of 1598 Spanish troops were stationed in the town during the Eighty Years' War. In 1611 a serious fire destroyed 225 of 235 houses.

On August 6, 1623 during the Thirty Years' War the Battle of Stadtlohn (German: "Schlacht im Lohner Brook") saw Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly's imperial troops victorious over Duke Christian of Brunswick's men. About 6.000 soldiers died that day. In 1742 regular pilgrimages started to a statue of Mary in a small chapel in Stadtlohn form various towns in the "Münsterland". The adoration of the virgin Mary ended in 1886 when the statue was stolen from the Hilgenbergchapel.

In March 1945 towards the end of World War II, Stadtlohn was hit by massive allied airstrikes that almost destroyed the entire town. On March 31, 1945 British forces marched into the town.

Sights

* Hünenburg
* Dicke Eiche

Museums

* Railroadmuseum Stadtlohn
* SIKU Toy-car Museum

Sports clubs

* DJK Eintracht Stadtlohn
* SuS Stadtlohn

Twin towns

* Weerselo, Netherlands
* San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy
* Altlandsberg, Germany

Notable persons

* Bernhard Rothmann a Reformer and an Anabaptist leader

External links

* [http://www.stadtlohn.de/ Official site] de icon
* [http://www.stadtlohn.net/ Detailed map of Stadtlohn, including pictures] de icon